Public Agency Peer Review: Case Study

Abstract

Because of concern in ASCE and the engineering community with quality in the field of design and construction, a task committee was appointed in 1986 and charged with developing details of a program for conducting organizational peer review within public agencies. Similar programs exist for peer review of private‐sector firms. The committee was also charged with training reviewers, conducting pilot reviews, evaluating the process, and making recommendations for further development of the program. The ASCE's Peer Review Program was introduced at the International Civil Engineering Convention and Exposition held on October 25–28, 1987, in Anaheim, California. Three public agencies that had undergone pilot peer reviews were participants in the session “Peer Review—A Key in the Quest for Quality in Engineering.” The session featured discussions on various aspects of the peer review program and included objective evaluations by these three agencies. The pilot peer review conducted at the U.S. Bureau of Reclamation's Engineering and Research (E&R) Center in Denver, Colorado, occurred in August 1987. The bureau's experience, as recounted in this paper, can provide insight into the peer review process and constructive analysis for agencies or others who may participate in future peer reviews.